Screwless tubular connecter for electric wires



June 17 1924. 1,498,296

' A. c. RECKER SCREWLESS TUBULAR CONNECTER FOR ELECTRIC WIRES Filed May 17 1 921 Patented June 17, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ADOLPH C. BECKER, OF OAKVILLE, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE CHASE COM- PANIES INC., OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION.

SCREWLESS TUBULAR CONNECTER FOR ELECTRIC WIRES.

Application filed May 17, 1921.

To all whom it may concern.

' Be it known that I, ADoLPH C. BECKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oakville, in the county of Litchfield and l, State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Screwless T ubular Connecters for Electric Wires; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying draw- 10 ings, and the characters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this application, and represent, in

Fig. 1 a view in front elevation of my improved tubular connecter with its offsetting gripping-fingers partly in longitudinal sectlon.

Fig. 2 a view thereof in side elevation.

Fig. 3 a View thereof in transverse section on the line 38 of Fig. 1.

Fig. a a corresponding view on the line 14t of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 a detached perspective View of the 25 tubular connecter.

My invention relates to an improved tubular connector for electric wires, the object being to produce a simple, cheap and effective connector designed with particular ref- 30 erence to avoiding the use of screws.

With these ends in View, my invention consists in a tubular sheet-metal connecter having certain details of construction as will be hereinafter described and pointed out in the claim.

In carrying out my invention as herein shown, I form from astrip of sheet-metal an oval wire-receiving tube 10, one edge of which is turned radially outward to form a gripping-finger 11 and the other edge of which is turned radially outward and bent over to form an inwardly-opening U-shaped housing 12 extending parallel with the axis of the said tube and terminating in a gripping-finger 13 which lies along the outer face of the gripping-finger 11 aforesaid, the tube being sprung so as to exert a constant effort to draw the adjacent faces of the said fingers 11 and 13 together. In the use of my improved connecter, the insulated wires 1a and are inserted into the opposite ends of the oval tube in which they pass each other, so as to projectfrom the opposite ends thereof, as shown in broken lines in Figure 1. The stripped or bare pro- Serial No. 470,299.

jecting ends of the wires are then bent upon themselves to form the inwardly-opening hooks 16 and 17, as seen in the same figure. The tube 10 is now sprung by lateral pressure so as to separate its gripping-fingers 11 and 13, as shown in Figure 1. The wires 14 and 15 are then pulled in opposite directions, so as to enter their inwardly-turned hooks 16 and 17 into the opposite ends of the housing 12 and between the gripping-fingers 11 and 13. Now as soon as pressure is removed from the tube 10 the grippingfingers 11 and 13 will tend to close and engage with and grip the hooked ends of the wires, resulting in long electrical contact therewith, as well as strong frictional grip. Moreover, longitudinal strain upon the wires only tends to more firmly hook their ends into the tubular connecter. After the wires have been connected in this manner, the entire connection may be taped in the usual manner. Prior to con necting the wires enough of their insulation 18 is removed to bare their ends for a sufficient distance to permit them to be inserted in the opposite ends of the connecter, as described. I do not limit myself to making the tube 10 in oval cross-sectional form, as its specific form in that respect may be changed as desired.

. I claim:

As a new article of manufacture, a tubular connecter for insulated electric wires, consisting in a one-piece, resilient, sheet-metal, Wire-receiving tube, longer than its diameter and adapted in length to receive side by side and provide bearing for the two insulated wires to be connected when introduced into its opposite ends, one edge of the said tube being turned radially outward to form a gripping-finger, and the other edge thereof being shaped to form an inwardlyopening, U-shaped housing, enclosing the grippingfinger aforesaid and adapted to receive the stripped or bare ends of the two wires when the same are bent to form hooks and inserted into the opposite ends of the housing, in which they are gripped by the said radial finger.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ADOLPH C. BECKER. Witnesses:

ARTHUR W. WELLINGTON, 'J. S. NEAGLE, 

